Floating loop cutter



NOV. 22, J, CARD FLOATING LOOP CUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 30,1959 UMH- Nov. 22, 1960 1 CARD FLOATING LooP CUTTER Filed July 30I 19592 Sheets-Sheet 2 58 if 6 fsf 59 ak/L; Z5, X

INVENTOR, JffP/f Lew/5 54,30 BY 23,9%,748 Patented Nov. 22, 1960FLOATING LOOP CUTTER Joseph Lewis Card, Cobble Brothers MachineryCoinpany, Riverside Drive, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Filed July 30, 1959, ser. N0. 830,590

4 Claims. (ci. 26-1z) This invention relates to an apparatus for cuttingthe ll'oating loops formed transversely in a base fabric in order toform tufted pile fabric, and more particularly to a mechanism forcutting lioating loops which have been woven parallel to the weft of thefabric.

Heretofore, floating loops have been formed primarily longitudinally orparallel to the warp of a woven fabric, necessitating the use of cuttingmechanisms which travel transversely of the fabric and simultaneouslycut the warpwise loops disposed in ltransverse rows. Such mechanisms, ofnecessity, have been quite complicated because they not only must beable to cut the loops Ibut Vmust also move transversely off the fabricin opposite directions and longitudinally with a longitudinally movingfabric in order for a mechanism to remain in alignment with eachtransverse row during the cutting operation.

It is therefore an object of this invention to overcome thedisadvantages enumerated yby forming the floating loops parallel to theweft of the fabric and providing a much simpler cutting mechanism forcutting the loops along longitudinal rows.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cutting mechanism whichmay be supported in a stationary position transversely of the fabric asthe fabric is moved to feed the, loops toward the cutting mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for cuttingfloating loops which may or may not be employed as a part of the loomfor weaving the fabric incorporating the floating loops.

Another object of this invention is to provide a flo-ating loopcuttingmechanism of novel construction incorporating a shoe for engagingand guiding the loops in each longitudinal row of a fabric to a looperelement cooperating with a reciprocating knife for severing the loops inorder to form tufts in the fabric.

Another object of this invention is to provide a floating loop cutterincorporating a scissors-action for more effectively severing thelloating loops to form tufts in a base fabric.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention with the end housingand bearings removed;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan-view of the left end of the machine;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View of the cutting mechanism disclosed in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken along the lines 5 5 of Fig. l.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, Fig. l discloses theapparatus or machine having a bed frame supported by front standards 11and rear standards 12, only the standrds on the left side of the machinebeing shown. Mounted transversely across the front standards 11 is ashaft 13 supporting a roll of woven base fabric 14 in which floatingloops 15 have been formed parallel to the weft of the fabric and inwhich the loops 15 are aligned to form substantially parallellongitudinal rows. The fabric 14 is fed from the shaft 13 across thefront feed roll 17 where the fabric travels substantially horizontallyacross the bed frame 10 upward around the lower rear feed roll 18 andover lthe upper rear feed roll 19 and rod 20 for any desired furtherdisposition such as cutting, folding, Irolling or packing.

Front and rear shafts 22 and 23 are supported transversely of the bedframe 10 for supporting respectively front and rear sprockets 24 and 25.The sprockets 24 and 25 support and drive a `continuous chain 26 at eachlateral edge of and below the fabric 14. rl`he chain 26 is provided witha plurality of spaced shoes 2'7 having outwardly extended spikes 28 forengaging the opposite bottom edges of the fabric 14 to support andmaintain the fabric in transverse tension as it is `fed longitudinallythrough the machine.

Supported between the rear standards 12, only the left one of which isdisclosed, is a transverse channel member 3d supported above the bedframe 10. Depending from the channel member 30 at spaced intervalsacross the machine are a plurality of bearings 31 in which a rock shaft32 is journaled. A greater portion of the length of the rock shaft 32has a chordal section removed in order to provide a liat surface forreceiving the transverse supporting plate 33. Fixed to the transversesupporting plate 33 is a transverse knife holding block 34 having aplurality of transversely spaced recesses 35. Each recess 35 is adaptedto snugly receive a mating pin 36 fixed to and extending rearwardlyyfrom a substantially rectangular knife holder 37. A thin elongatedsubstantially rectangular knife blade 38 is adapted to be slidingly andlongitudinally adjusted in the knife holder by means of a set screw 3.The bottom 40 of the knife blade 3S is sharpened and positioned slightlyabove the path of the fabric in order that it may engage the floatingloops 15 when they are raised in cutting position. The knife blade 3S isreciprocated through a limited arc in a vertical plane by means of aneccentric 42 mounted on a continuously driven rotary shaft 43. Aneccentric strap 44 reciprocated by the eccentric 42 is adjustablypivoted to the end of a crank arm 45 by means of a pin 46. The other endof the crank arm is fixed to one end of the rock shaft 32, as bestdisclosed in Figs. 1 and 2. The drive shaft 43 may be driven through anyconvenient means such as the `pulley 47, belt 48 and motor 49.

Transversely mounted between the rear standards 12 and slightly abovethe fabric 14 is a transverse loopforming support bar 52. Fixed to thefront of and depending below the support bar 52 is a shoe block 53. Aplurality of loop-supporting shoes 54 are arranged parallel to eachother pointing toward the front of the machine, or in the directionopposite the direction of fabricv feed, and each is supported atl itsrear endV to the shoe block 53' by a set screw 55. There are as manyshoes 54 as there are longitudinal rows of floating loops 15, each shoebeing aligned with a corresponding Irow of loops and positioned to passbetween the loops 15 and the fabric 14 as the fabric is fed to move theloops 15 upon the shoes 54.

The shape and the function of the shoes 54 are best disclosed in Figs. 3and 4. Each shoe 54 has a substantially flat bottom to hold down and yetpermit the free passage of the fabric 14 therebeneath as the smoothrounded blunt toe 56 of the shoe is introduced within eacA loop 15 in acorresponding row as it moves toward the rear of the machine. Each shoe54 contains an elongated slot or groove 57 along its longitudinal axis.

Of substantially lesser width, having a uniform thickness and adapted tofit within the groove 57, is a looper element 58. No part of the looperelement 58 is positioned to depend below the bottom of the groove 57.The front of the looper element 58 is slightly pointed at 59 and spacedproximate to the front end of the groove 57. The top surface 60 of thelooper element slopes upwardly toward the rear of the machine in orderto provide a substantially continuous surface over which the loop may befed from the front portion of the shoe 54 to a raised position on thelooper element 58 in position for cutting by the reciprocating blade 38.The rear portion of the looper element 58 extends upward and issupported in a looper block 61 by means of a set screw 62. The looperblock 61 is tixed to the front portion of the shoe block 53 so that theshoes 54 and the looper elements 58 are all stationarily and relativelyfixed to each other. The width of the groove 57 is suicient not only topermit the reception of the looper element 58 but also the knife blade38, which, although it is tensoned against the edge of the looperelement 58, is free to reciprocate longitudinally thereof within thegroove 57.

As best disclosed in Fig. 3, the blade edge 40 is not only sharpened,but slopes slightly downward toward the rear of the machine andintersects the upper surface 60 of the looper element in both extremereciprocating positions as disclosed by the solid and dashed lines inFig. 3. Thus, the oppositely sloping surfaces of the knife blade edge 40and the upper looper surface 60 is so constructed and positioned thatthe resulting severing action resembles that of a pair of scissors andhas been found to be extremely smooth and effective under conditions ofrapid reciproeation of the knife blade 38 and the Continuous movement ofthe fabric 14.

The sprocket shaft 22 may be driven by any suitable means, such as themotor 65, reduction gear box 66 and chain 67, in order to continuouslydrive the fabric carrying chains 26.

It can thus be seen that a machine for cutting floating loops formedtransversely of a woven base fabric has been developed which employs aminimum number of parts of simple construction. Moreover, the cuttingmechanism is adapted to perform its yfunction in a stationary positionwithout involving the complicated timing problems of moving the cuttingmechanism relative to the movement of the fabric.

Whereas a cutting apparatus of the type which travels transversely of awoven fabric to out the loops as they are formed on a loom will produceonly about twelve bedspreads per day, the machine constructed accordingto this invention will sever enough loops to form forty bedspreads ofthe same size per hour.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changesmaybe made in the invention, without departing from the spirit andscope-thereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that whichis shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only asindicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for cutting floating loops which have been wovenweftwise in a base fabric to form rows of loops longitudinally of thefabric comprising, a frame for supporting said fabric, means for movingsaid fabric longitudinally of said frame, a loop forming barstationarily mounted on said frame and spaced proximate to and abovesaid frame, a plurality of elongated shoes mounted on said loop formingbar, each of said shoes being in alignment with and adapted to engagethe loops in a longitudinal row, each of said shoes having an elongatedgroove, a looper element for each shoe mounted on said loop forming bar,said looper element depending into said groove in a corresponding one ofsaid shoes, the upper surface of said looper element sloping graduallyupward in the direction of fabric movement and being adapted to receiveand raise the loops formed upon the corresponding shoe, a knife blade'for each looper element mounted above said fabric supporting frame,each knife blade being received in a corresponding one of said groovesand tensioned against a looper element to reciprocate longitudinallywithin said groove, and means for reciprocating said knife blades inunison within said grooves to sever said loops formed on said looperelements.

2. The invention according to claim l in which the means forreciprocating said knife blades comprises a rock shaft rotatably mountedtransversely above said fabric supporting frame, all of said knifeblades being tixedly mounted to said rock shaft, and eccentric means forreciprocating said rock shaft.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which each knife blade has acutting edge sloping downward in the direction of fabric movement andintersecting the upper surface of its corresponding looper element inorder to eifect a substantial scissors action in severing the loops uponthe looper element.

4. An apparatus for cutting floating loops formed transversely inlongitudinal rows in a base fabric comprising, a stationary shoe havinga substantially iiat bottom adapted to pass substantially iush over saidfabric and through the loops in a longitudinal row when said fabric ismoving longitudinally, an elongated groove formed longitudinally in saidshoe, a stationary looper element mounted longitudinally in said grooveand spaced from at least one side of said groove, the upper surface ofsaid looper element sloping upward away from the loop receiving end ofsaid shoe to receive and raise loops lformed on said shoe, a separatereciprocable knife blade tensioned against said looper element to movelongitudinally within the space between said looper element and said oneside of said groove, means for moving said fabric longitudinally beneathsaid shoe to feed loops over said shoe and upon said looper element, andmeans for reciprocating said blade to sever loops on said looperelement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS353,587 Range Nov. 30, 1886 353,615 Willcox Nov. 30, 1886 843,444 CunaneFeb. 5, 1907 1,103,838 Rehfuss et al. Iuly 14, 1914 FOREIGN PATENTS7,621 Great Britain of 1890

